map of ellinia:
link

NORTHERN MARKETS Season II
Episode 77: Jango

Eluneday, Winter 24, 2008
(Monday Jan 25)

Upon arrival in Ellinia, the archmages who siezed control of the Alf’s Maintenance Company van pulled up outside the great academy, the Institute of Knowledge & Education. The Institute also held a medical center for injured or sick people.
Clerics and student assistants waited with a hovering wooden stretcher outside the oak doors as the van pulled up.
Meeka was carried out and put onto the stretcher, groaning from the mingrane headache and pain she suffered due to severe mana loss. The magician was rushed inside by the clerics. The baby, and the woman and her two kids were also taken out and escorted inside. In the van, Chuck, Rusty, and Joe were tied up with their hands and feet bound with ice. The archmage driving the van drove to the headquarters of the Cor Caomhnoir-Asarlai , a 5000-strong magicians’ guild and Ellinia’s local security agency. Almost all of Ellinia’s high level mages served with the CCA at one point in their lives.

The CCA’s headquarters were burrowed deep in the giant Avasta Tree on the east side of Ellinia. The trunk of the giant tree was 1800 feet wide, and the tree itself stood over 3000 feet high, with thick branches sticking out everywhere, and each branch grew several hundreds of types of leaves. The genetic build of Ellenian trees was so complex that eco-scientists did research and confirmed each tree had mixed genetic structures from over 200 plant species. In turn, branches grew so many types of leaves that had a rainbow of colors.
The CCA was founded back in the 1400’s by Ellinia’s first foreign settlers, the Innisfailians, a tribe of Erish magicians who found themselves quite suitable for the vast resources of magic energy here. The CCA fought off the Sherenian invaders, Balrogs, Angels, the Justice Arrow, and the Sino Army. At present, the Cor Caomhnoir Asarlai was maintaining tight security in the region to keep out the JA, and other opposing groups. On their list of unfriendly suspect groups was the Kerning City Police, accused of abusing civilian magicians living in Kerning.

Because of increased tensions between Ellinia and Henesys, the CCA was granted full military power, and called back all of Ellinia’s high level magicians and ordered them to return home.

The van rolled off the thick suspended bridge onto the thick wood platform of the Avasta Tree and drove down another ramp to the CCA HQ entrance. The high ranking arch mages wore black and turquoise robes.
The side doors of the van slip open, and the guys were pulled out by their shirts and forced inside.
The entire place was built out of hardened wood carved from the tree, and used to make slide doors, furniture, and prison bars. Only mages were allowed in, and they had to have expert magic skills to open and close doors which were secured with vines that only bent under magic power, operate lights, magic powered gadgets, and the magic-electric phone system.
Rusty Miller was marched down a dark hall and thrown into a cell in the detention block. One mage had him by the arm, and the other had her Blue Marine staff pointed at the back of his neck. The first mage used his free arm and untwisted the vines that wrapped around the lock and then melted the ice inside the wood-marble lock, The door opened, and the mages shoved Miller in and slammed the door behind him. After the door was locked and the vines wrapped around the lock, the mages melted the ice, unbinding the cop’s hands.

Miller stood in the small room. To his left was a bed- a mattress which was a sheet of woven leaves around sawdust.
To his right was a table. The room was dark, and the only light came through a small window on the wall opposite from the door. He sat on the bed and pondered his fate. Miller hadn’t had a proper sleep for days now and everything was becoming a blur. He forced himself to review the last few days’ events: On Friday, he went on duty with his SWAT Team and they went into 7ung Hwang for their 8 hour shift. That was at 7am on Friday. Around 3 when they were about to pull out, another team called for help and they ended up helping Azn gangs storm a JA barricade. They defeated the rangers, but the situation got ugly, and the Azns turned on the SWAT. Miller was then re-assigned to guarding the roof of the children’s building which he ended guarding the whole night. That night sucked, because Miller eneded up killing two JA rangers whom he discovered where his brother and sister and OMG that sucked!
Saturday was even worse; he returned to HQ which was then destroyed by the JA and Miller barely escaped, taking some magician girl and her baby with him.

Now in Ellinia, he was arrested by those mages, and he had no idea what was going to happen to him now. Miller fell asleep as he pondered his fate.

COLD DEATH PASS
9:50 SEA Time
(2:30 pm)
A delivery truck slowly made its way down the rocky road south towards Cold Death Pass. The pass was taken over by the Justice Arrow last November and they began construction on a new bridge. A road was already made on the old bridge which looked like a big block of rock and debris spanning the 150 metre gap of the Corazon Canyon. While the ruins on the northern side of the Pass were untouched, the JA had built an observation tower and a building out of wood taken from trees in Sleepywood.
The bright sunlight glared down as the lone truck drove towards the border between the SEA Lands and Victoria.
Piloting the crystal powered truck was Jango Alyth, level 70 ranger. His heart pounded as he slowly approached the Pass.
The Rangers in the observation tower alerted everyone, and two Bow Masters stood at the end of the bridge waiting.

Jango drove slowly across the destroyed bridge. As the truck lurched over every bump, the whole structure shook with recoil and Jango was afraid the whole thing would fall apart.
As he drove the truck off the bridge onto Victorian ground, the Bow Masters waved and motioned for him to stop.
“Who are you?” The BM demanded.
“Jango Alyth, sir” Jango said nervously.
“Ah, yes, so, why are you driving a truck south? You’re a ranger, you’re supposed to be stationed up there! It’s the SEA Landers’ job to drive these trucks! Explain yourself!”
“Sir, I was ordered by my boss, Captain Harrton, to drive this truck. The SEA Landers are refusing; something about a pay dispute, sir,”
“Why are you the only one?” the Bow Master demanded.
“The others should be along soon,” Jango lied.
“Where were you ordered to go?”
“Kerning, sir,”
“Ah, yes, I see,” the bow master said. “Are you to relay further orders, Alyth?”
“Yes, sir. Harrton ordered that more trucks be dispatched to transport more magicians to our base at Border Town,”
“Very well. So how does it feel to be the youngest ranger to see the SEA Lands?”
“It’s scary, yet interesting, sir”
“Is it?” The BM demanded. “Don’t forget that no decent human being can survive out there! The inhabitants beyond Border Town are mutants and have lost their purity with the Migrator!”
“yes, sir”
“They have been mutated by the elements of that forsaken land, and no one is to go there without special authorization!”
“Yes, sir” Jango said again. His heart pounded.
“So, Alyth, I heard Captain Harrton was to eliminate those scumbags who were hiding up there, you know, that mob of sodomites who left Kerning a few months ago? How did that go?”
“It was a success, sir,” Jango lied.
“How many of those dirtbag noobs and magicians did you pop?”
Jango remembered the battle- it was only yesterday. He remembered flying around on his air board watching the other bowmen as they shot and killed everyone in the streets. The refugees were hiding out in a building that was blown up by a giant arrow bomb. He recalled his run in with that Saska woman who pleaded for her life. Jango will never forget the look on her face- he’ll remember meeting her for the rest of his life-
“Well? How many did you kill?” the Bow Master demanded.
“About 300. 300 kills on my own, and I helped the guys kill way more. The magicians up there are demonic; they sprouted giant flowers on some of the rangers and they died, so I kabobbed them,” Big fat lie.
“Excellent. You delivered them to the heavens for judgement. Good to see you living up to your name, Alyth. Your mother and father will be proud!”
Jango thought about his parents. Their minds were full of the JA’s twisted religious ‘righteous’ policies, and they would be proud that their kids all grew up to be mass murderers just like them.
Another officer came up. “Jango Alyth is it?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Out of the truck. I just contacted home, and your mother is stationed there. She wants to talk to you,”

Nervous as hell, Jango slowly opened the door and climbed out of the truck. All these guys had to do was open the back and find what he’s transporting, and then he’ll be really screwed. Jango forced himself to keep cool as he followed the JA officer into the building. It was like a longhouse built of thick dense wood. The building was two floors high, and divided into offices, storage, a canteen (cafeteria serviced by servants and volunteers), detention cells, and the room that housed a radio, scanners, and all sorts of stolen communications equipment. Last month, the JA intercepted a delivery truck carrying equipment to the SEA Lands and siezed the equipment.
The black box like unit was a long distance amplifier for personal messengers, only there were already five of the mobile devices hooked to the machine.
Jango sat next to an old man. “Here, use B.” he said handing him a messenger.
“…Hello?” Jango said slowly.
[“Jango, my son! Report on your duties!”] That’s her way of saying ‘how are you’
“I’m carrying orders to the base in Kerning City, mom,” Jango replied.
[“How did you do in the SEA Lands? Did you take out the vermin as morally required and ordered?”]
“Yes, mom.”
[“Excellent. Your father will be proud upon hearing about you serving for us abroad! How long will you be in Kerning City?”]
“The maximum three days,”
[“Good. I have new orders for you once you have given your current orders to Captain Shashmecka, and he is aware. Your sister Kathryn is getting married in a week’s time, and your sister Jane is having a baby soon. I want you to return home when you finish your mission in Kerning City, and take care of her, understand, son?”]
“Yes, mom” Jango replied with no emotion.
[“Good boy. Now go. I’ll see you in three days, cheerio!”] and the line cut out with static.

The freezing -30 degree air stung Jango’s face as he walked out of the building back to the truck. He told the bow master officers of his new orders.
“Very good, son! Say, when are you to get married? Isn’t it about time?” the first officer demanded.
Jango froze in his steps. “I haven’t had a chance to meet any ladies, sir. I’ve been on duty for the last 143 days, sir,”
“Ah, well, it will be arranged in due time. Your mother has been discussing the matter with the Jazabel family. You are familliar with them?”
A Mennonite family, from one of the settlements outside of Henesys. Real close ties with the Alyth family, and a good link of friendship between Henesys and the Menonnite communites in southern Victoria.Jango’s dad wanted him to marry Annie Opsquatch and work his as off, while his mom wanted him to marry a religious church girl in the Mennonite family, and have kids. Lots and lots of kids, and raise them to be hardcore JA fighters, teaching them all of Henesys’ twisted polices on life and hatred to all of MapleWorld’s ethnic groups. The girl would report on Jango and make sure he was just as religious and reverant as she was. His mom pretty much decided she wanted that to be his future after his close call with death in Panquilia.
And Annie Opsquatch?
She’s a monster! Level 93 killing machine! That 6’2″ psycho killed half the noobs at Panquilia alone! If she was in a high ranking position, she’d make enough arrow bombs to level the Azn parts of Kerning City! Jango’s dad was trying to set up an arranged marriage for him and her, because he thought she would be the driving force that would push Jango to the extreme productivity of life. (That means he’d have to work his ass off hard just to reach her standards of training, fighting, education, athletics, cooking, construction and literature; storytelling, and crap like that. She’d probably beat the crap out of him all the time! Jango always thought the Opsquatch family were all insane and psychotic.
“Wait, wasn’t he supposed to marry Annie Opsquatch?”
“Ah, yes, what happened to that plan? Imagine the children they would have had.”
“She’s marrying to Jackal Geoffson. He’s pratically her soul mate. Both families agreed to it.”
“I see, well, Alyth, what’s your take on the whole arrangement matter?”
“With all due respect sir, Im worried how marriage will impact on my duties and my service for the JA and to Henesys!” Jango said sarcastically, then he regretted the words instantly.
The Bow Masters both chuckled and laughed.
“Good one, young man! You’re finally shaping up to be like your old man! Duty first, everything else after! I like that!”
“Well, boy, it all comes down to your mother and father’s decision. You’ve done quite the service for us already, and put your life on the line too many times for your family’s comfort. Your father was actually afraid he’d lost you in the superfire that destroyed Panquilia! And your mother was afraid that the Permanoobs had gotten to you, either killed you or infected you with their diseases! She worries about your morals, boy,”
“I am completely unaffected by the Permanoobs,” Jango lied. He got creative and said: “Maybe that urban superfire that raged after the pipeline blew up was protecting me from them while the Migrator was waiting for me to get out of there alive. It was like a challenge,”
“Amen to that, boy! A testament to your courageous fight!” the Bow master said. “And you fulfilled your holy mission by taking out the vermin, right?”
“Yes, sir,”
Another ranger came up. “Sir! urgent message from home!”
“Go on,” the BM replied.
“Message from Chief Jalonska begins: ‘All bowmen be on standby for combat, should the unholy enemies strike during and after the summit meeting. Have forces ready to deploy at a moment’s notice!’ Message ends.”
“Very well. Raise the readiness level around here. Alyth, got any money from the North?”
“Yes, sir,” Jango said as he opened the passenger door of the truck, reached in the glovebox and took out an envelope. It would be the last meso shipment from the JA’s base at Border Town. He handed it to the bow master.
“Thank you, young man. Well, you heard him. Best be on your way!”
“Yes, sir.”

Jango climbed in and started the truck and slowly drove off. The truck rocked and shook as it lumbered up and down the narrow, twisted rocky Forbidden Road that stretched accross the Corazon Mountains. As he drove, he passed the sites of the refugees’ battles with the JA. One spot was littered with frozen shredded bodies and wreckage of vehicles and crap. He heard a high level hacker killed all of the rangers that followed the refugees up here, and yup, frozen bodies of bowmen were strewn all accross the frozen ground. One half of an air board stuck out of the ice like a grave marker. He wondered how many Roikan bowmen died up here?
Anyways, hours later, as night fell, Jango did not stop at Perion; he drove right through, and then turned east on Victoria Road. Jango was terrified as he stared straight ahead; the blinding blizzard lit up only by the headlights of the truck. His future was very uncertain, not because of his parents arguing over who he should be married to, but of his own moral issues. True, the Permanoobs didn’t change his morals; the JA’s genocide crimes against them did. when Jango was sent to Panquilia, as a level 57 hunter he was told that they were hunting hackers, but when he got there, they all went on a killing spree. Jango recalled being forced to shoot an arrow at the fleeing PErmanoobs and took a guy’s head clean off. He never recovered from the guilt trip of that.
But now he was scared crapless. He was not going to Kerning or to Henesys. Jango was going to Ellinia. To turn himself in to the magicians, and surrender everything he knows about the JA, their crimes, New Saskatchewan, and everything else to them. He was afraid they would kill him, but he hated the JA and what they were doing and since they were not aware that they lost their hold in the North, he would inform the magicians instead.
Jango figured that the most dangerous thing he was about to do was surrender to the enemy and take the punishment for his- no the JA’s crimes.

+++
Ya i rewrote this. Next chapter coming soon XD
the pic- thats the delivery truck Jango probably drives